Saturday, January 15, 2011

There’s nothing better than a contest to kick off the year! Here at Killer Fiction, we’d like to thank all our readers for a fabulous 2010 and kick off 2011 in fine fashion. And what better way to kick off the New Year than with free stuff? All the rules for the contest are on the sidebar, so read up and make sure you’re entered to win great prizes.

IMPORTANT NOTE: All contest winners will be drawn the weekend following the end of the contest. So if you didn’t hear about the contest right away, don’t despair—you can still go back to previous blog posts and enter.

Today we have a special guest, Kate Pearce, who is giving away a copy of her book Blood of the Rose to one lucky commenter. So, take it away, Stephanie…

Why write Vampires?

by
Kate Pearce

I often get asked why I decided to write Vampires, especially Tudor Vampires, and the answer has nothing to do with my hopes of earning bazillions of dollars, ( I think several other authors have already got there before me.) :) Well, the bazillions would be nice, but there were other reasons why I enjoy writing paranormal.

I have three teenage boys.

And no, I didn’t write them for my boys. They abhor all things romantic and vampiric, and the thought that their own mother knows about sex, let alone writes about it is high on their horror factor. It’s more that my kids drive me crazy and apparently I’m not allowed to kill my own children. I find killing vampires in my books a safe outlet for those days when I just look at my boys and wonder what the hell I was thinking.

Imaginary fighting is so much better to deal with and I can control the outcome. I also get to raise my inner geek-historian and write about Tudor history along with the vampire and druid lore. And I get to kill people, horrifically and I find I’m enjoying that far more than I probably should. (see above).

"Blood of the Rose" was particularly fun to write because the real life drama of Anne Boleyn lends itself so beautifully to a Vampire plot and I enjoyed every minute of it. Even in her own time period, Anne was accused of being a witch who had bespelled the king and consorted with her own brother. It’s nice when history collides with paranormal fiction in such a satisfying manner.

I’m giving away a copy of “Blood of the Rose” to one commenter and my question is: what do you escape from when you write or read fiction?

I've always read to escape life. I started as a child to get away from it all and it's still the best way to forget anything and everything - at least for a little while!! It's how I get to sleep every night - stops the voices in the head!

I just love to read!! It relaxes and soothes my brain!! I think, if I didn't read, I would probably sit in front of the TV watching all the problems in the world:( I love vampires and Tudor, this sounds like a book I would enjoy. I have already put it on my list.

I read to escape the hell that is my children. lol I have 3 girls, one going through puberty that I want to punch in the face on a daily basis. If I couldn't escape into a book I'd probably have run away by now.

I just love to escape my everyday life, and let my brain relax. After a somewhat stressful day at the donut factory, or with Ms Squacky Baby, its nice to let my mind ferret out a solution to a different type of problem.

Great question - I think I escape from the everyday reality where I don't know any vampires, solve horrific crimes, or live in a different time period. It's a great way to stop being me and be in someone else's reality.

Wow! thanks for all the great responses! It's interesting how much we all value that opportunity to get away from it all, even for a little while. The thing that always annoys me is the suggestion that we 'silly women' are unable to distinguish between fantasy and reality-um no-we're perfectly capable of knowing and appreciating the difference.

I escape from the worries and stress of my normal life by going to places I've never been, experiencing new things and meeting people (or creatures) different than anyone I've ever known - all while sitting in a comfy chair.

Ahhhh...let me count the ways now - I am getting away from wanting a cigarette while I'm quitting smoking, getting away from starting a new job and wondering if I can hack it, getting away from a house that needs cleaning...oh, and the cat box needs scooping.

Kate, I'm so happy to have you here since your vampy Tudor books sound amazing!

As for what I'm escaping from....I'm a quadriplegic and have certain days that are a lot more pain-filled than others, so reading helps get my mind off how bad my body feels. Thinking of Qhuinn from JR Ward's BDB certainly does this body good! Then of course there's the same financial hardships others have been having. Being able to travel to an exotic country, buy new clothes, or have the latest in electronic gadgets are just a few pages away.

I renewed my interest in reading about 10 years ago to escape involuntary confinement. I tore my gastroc muscle and couldn't walk for 6 weeks. We have a very short summer (3 months if we're lucky) and I was missing most of it. Stephen King saved my sanity. I'll be forever grateful.

When I read, I usually try to escape whatever problems are on my mind, or whatever pressures I might be having that day. Being a caretaker where I live, you can imagine what problems can crop up in the course of a day, and I need my share of escapes!!

I escape from boredom. If I'm not talking, watching tv or doing something I have to read. I read at the breakfast table (even if it's the cereal box, over and over), in line, waiting for the bus, on the bus, etc.

Reading is a relief or escape from normal life for me. The best books teach me a few things as the plot develops. My escape is typically just ignoring the never ending chores from emptying the dishwasher to loading the next load of clothes to be washed.

Most of my time to read in is the car, waiting to pick up my daughter, waiting rooms (car mechanic or doctor's office), or the bathroom so I don't read so much to escape as just whenever I can fit it in. I love to read and wish I had more time for it.

Your stories sound great--I love the combination of paranormal and factual history. I definitely read to escape, and I escape the whole world. But I get to explore a new whole world, go places and do things (like killing vampires :) or becoming the mistress of a werewolf) that I would never get to do in real life. It's a win-win.

I read to escape my own problems. I started reading when I was a child. Loved reading! I've had asthma my whole life and I really couldn't play like my sister and brother could so I read a lot. It's helped me live through the characters whether they are going to a different country or running away from something.

Kate, you got a rocking cover again for this one! Love your historicals and vamp ones too!

For me, I deal with alot of pain, physically, so its not only the escape of doing something to get away from it but putting some excitement in my head and heart on what I'm reading and it takes me away. Its does wonders!!

The Crime

The authors of this blog are hereby charged with writing Killer Fiction novels responsible for spontaneous outbursts of laughter in public places, uncontrollable swooning over larger-than-life heroes, and the deaths of countless fictional villains.

The Evidence

Our Accomplices

Please come join us in chatting with these fantastic guest bloggers!
May 4thMina Khan